Toto
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) Toto, is a fictional character, an animal invented by L. Frank Baum, author and creator of the Oz legacy. He is the beloved pet dog of the stories protagonists child character Dorothy Gale of Kansas and is living at a farm in the prairies in circa 1900. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) Toto: Pronounced (Toe-Toe) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) Baum's Description Toto the dog is described to be rather small in size, very dark or completely all black. He has long, mangy and silky curly hair, and big black eyes that twinkle merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose. He is very well behaved and brave despite being a small dog. He is friendly and loves his mistress very much but will growl at or even bite anyone who tries to harm her. Animals from the outside world can talk once they reach the magical land of Oz; but Toto on the other hand remained silent for a very long time and he can speak to humans and other beings but choses to bark instead. And if he speaks it is only sparingly, if ever. Toto does not talk so he doesn't let on, he finds this helpful in chaotic situations. (Tik-Tok of Oz) History Toto was a happy dog, and was the only thing in Kansas that kept Dorothy happy and colorful when the land had turned everything else gray. When a cyclone struck the Gale farm, Toto was taken along with Dorothy in the farm house all the way to the Land of Oz. When Dorothy began her journey on the yellow brick road, Toto accompanied his little mistress and gladly followed her the whole way. At first he was suspicious of her new friends, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion but came to get along with them. He was eventually returned to Kansas with Dorothy. It is said that Toto didn't care rather he lived in Oz forever, but he disliked seeing Dorothy cry and felt sorry for her who was unhappy there and wanted to go back home, so it made him unhappy too. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). When Dorothy permanently moved to the Land of Oz, along with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Toto joined them, living with them in the Emerald City. (The Emerald City of Oz). He gained the ability to talk when he was in the Land of Oz, but preferred not to, instead communicating nonverbally with Dorothy. When this came to her attention, she cornered him and got him to say something. (Tik-Tok of Oz) When Ozma was kidnapped by Ugu the Shoemaker, Toto was left behind at the palace by Dorothy but found out from Jellia Jamb what was going on. He was able to catch the party before they left, hiding in the wagon so Dorothy wouldn't know he was with them until it was too late. The Cowardly Lion knew, but he stayed out of the matter. When Dorothy found out, she allowed him to stay with them. During the adventure, Toto spent a lot of time talking with the other animals in the party: the Cowardly Lion, Sawhorse, and Woozy. He also came to believe he had lost his growl, and that it had been stolen by the same thief who stole Ozma, Glinda's Great Book of Records, and Cayke's Magic Dishpan. After Dorothy and The Frogman defeated Ugu, Toto noticed his growl had come back. (The Lost Princess of Oz) When Dorothy was replaced by a Mimic, Toto was the only one who immediately saw through the deception. While she was at a dinner with the rest of the Oz celebrities, he declared that the girl sitting there was not her. This blew their cover and ran. (The Magical Mimics in Oz) Book Appearances * The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (first appearance) * The Road to Oz * The Emerald City of Oz * Little Wizard Stories of Oz :* "Little Dorothy and Toto" * The Patchwork Girl of Oz * Tik-Tok of Oz * The Scarecrow of Oz * The Lost Princess of Oz * The Tin Woodman of Oz * The Magic of Oz * Grampa in Oz * The Magical Mimics in Oz with Terry.]] Background Toto did not speak until the final chapter of the eighth Oz book, Tik-Tok of Oz, and continued to say very little in Baum's books. Some later Oz writers make him more talkative. In the 1939 film Toto was played by a female cairn terrier named Terry. She was paid $125 a week in the film. Afterward, her name was changed to Toto. Modern Oz writers have used Toto as a protagonist in several works, including Roger S. Baum's Toto of Oz and the Surprise Party and Toto in Candy Land of Oz, Chris Dulabone's Toto in Oz, Ian Fink's "Toto's Tale," Atticus Gannaway's "Toto and the Truth," and Gina Wickwar's Toto of Oz. In Magic Land Toto is usually called by the diminutive form of his name "Totoshka". He speaks much more frequently than in Baum's books. In the later books he is too old for adventuring, and is replaced by his grandson, Arto. In The Great Wishy Woz he is Nono. In Todd MacFarlane's 2007 pitch for an Oz movie, a reimagined Toto - or race of Totos - played a big role, as MacFarlane revealed in an interview with MTV: "There's still a thing called Toto, except it's the biggest thing in the movie and not the smallest thing. The beast called Toto basically ate the first dog, and it's this big thing that the inhabitants of Oz ride. They've given this generic word... so instead of horses, people ride Totos." http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/oz-the-return-to-emerald-city-now-has-a-logline.php Alternate Histories There are many reimaginings and alternate versions of Oz which present alternate histories of many of the Oz characters. Here are some different versions of Toto. Dorothy (Comic Book Series) Toto is a mechanical (but living) dog who is native to Oz. However, when he meets Dorothy he quickly becomes her loyal companion. (Dorothy) Was/Novel Was is a book written by Geoff Ryman, same author of the novel Air. Was is a very sad and tragic tale intended for adult readers. The story is about the realistic and dark life of a fictional Dorothy, who becomes a shattered soul through many traumatic experiences since losing her family as a small girl and forced to live a miserable existence on a bleak farm. The book questions just what if Dorothy was a real person, and what her life probably could have been like, and the lives she could have touched if she was indeed an actual person. Toto plays a small but heartbreaking role in this story. Toto lived with Dorothy as a puppy along with Dorothy's real birth mother before they moved in with a cold blooded Aunt Em and a sexually abusive Uncle Henry after her mother's death. Aunt Em somewhat mistreated Dorothy and especially Toto, much to Dorothy's horror, and he eventually ran away because of it. He hid in the marshes near their Kansas farm, returning occasionally to see Dorothy and get some food or fresh water from the girl. He finally got his revenge on Aunt Em by digging up the bones of a dog she'd had as a child. Infuriated, Aunt Em chased him away. After that, he disappeared and didn't return. (Was) :It is implied that Aunt Em or Uncle Henry may have killed him. Credits * The Wizard of Oz (1939): Terry * The Wiz: Nancy * The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: Pepe the Prawn Category:Oz Book Characters Category:Oz Movie Characters Category:American Visitors to Oz Category:Creatures Category:Protagonists Category:Once Upon a Time Characters